Bad Veins came out of Cincinnati native Benjamin Davis’ solo bedroom project, then becoming an engaging live act with fellow founding member Sebastien Schultz on drums. After high-profile support slots for big names like TGTF favourites Two Door Cinema Club and We Were Promised Jetpacks, in 2013 Schultz called it quits, with Jake Bonta replacing him on the skins.

‘The Mess We Made’ was Bad Veins’ 2013 album that includes Schultz’s drumming, and now in 2 weeks (just in time for SXSW 2015!), Bad Veins 2.0 will be releasing ‘The Mess Remade’, a rerecorded, remastered, redone rehash if you will of the album from 2 years ago. An addition to the new LP not previously available on the earlier album is a cover of the Muppets’ ‘Rainbow Connection’, which appropriately has a Davis-like muppet playing the guitar and singing to a dejected, bespectacled Bonta. Even Irene, Bad Veins’ stalwart reel-to-reel tape deck companion, is also lovingly brought to puppet life for this promo. Watch it below. Also included below is the redone cut of fan favourite ‘Kindness’.

When Duncan Wallis, frontman for Dutch Uncles, throws shapes in one of their music videos and indeed, during live performances, it often seems like he’s a man possessed, or even possibly being controlled by strings from above.

In the Marple band’s newest video for ‘Decided Knowledge’, Duncan is turned into a live action puppet, as he sings and frolics his way across the Welsh seaside town of Llandudno. What’s even more remarkable? The attention to detail to the puppet ‘Muncan’, with his eyebrows, earring and even dance moves eerily matching those of Wallis’ own. Watch it below.

The song appears on the band’s album released last week, ‘O Shudder’, now available on Memphis Industries. For past coverage of Dutch Uncles on TGTF, go here.

Editor’s note: I posted Leon’s surname as Spansword in the initial posting of this article, using the name on his Twitter account for direction. Whoops. Be forewarned, rock stars: if you want people to know who you are, use your real name!

Not long now before SXSW 2015! But just as we did for SXSW 2014 last year, we’ll be running a special version of the TGTF Quickfire Questions, served up SXSW style with an extra couple of questions to get inside bands’ and artists’ heads so they’ll tell us what they really think of the event. We’re at the eighth installment ahead of the big event happening in just 2 weeks, and today we’re chatting with Leon Stanford, lead singer of South Wales band The People The Poet this morning who on physical appearance alone looks to give Huw Stephens a run for his money in the cuddliness stakes. What anthemic song in the last 10 years does Leon wish he’d written? Have a read for that, why we probably shouldn’t ply him (too much anyway) with drinks in Texas and much more below.

Keen on learning more about The People the Poet ahead of their appearance at Latitude 30 at the Music Wales showcase Tuesday night in Austin? Read my band profile on them that posted here on TGTF last week through this link.

What are you most looking forward to doing while you’re in Austin?
Being a band who are not really about looks, we mainly get excited about the same thing wherever we go and that’s getting fat and enjoying the local food and drink.

Of the bands who have already been announced, do you have any that are must-sees on your schedule? If yes, who are they and why?
I’d have to say Catfish and the Bottlemen who we’re lucky to be playing the same showcase as! They’re an exciting young Welsh band who are quickly becoming future headliners for all the big festivals.

Name something you’re packing in your suitcase that we might find unusual. (You are welcome to elaborate.)
Like every other diabetic rockstar I shall be carrying some insulin pens (the hard drugs) to keep me alive throughout the week of drinking, food and music.

If we happen to run into you in a bar, we’d like to buy you a drink. What is your tipple of choice?
I do like a milkshake being a bit of a shit diabetic so a white Russian or Baileys will do fine.

Also a surprise is always nice, as long as your idea of a surprise drink is not spiking it.

And now on to our usual list of Quickfire Questions:

What song is your earliest musical memory?
Probably something like singing Joe Cocker’s version of ‘With a Little Help From My Friends’ in primary school assembly. Oasis – ‘Wonderwall’, The Beatles – ‘Yellow Submarine’ and ‘Praise Hosanna’ were my school’s idea of a good selection of morning hymns.

What was your favourite song as a child?
I always liked a bit of Tom Jones – ‘You Can Leave Your Hat On’. Those 8-year old birthday parties would go mental when a bit of Tom came on, clothes would be flying everywhere but not a single party hat in sight.

What song makes you laugh? / What song makes you cry?
‘Short People’ by Randy Newman. He has a way of making you laugh and then the next minute he writes a song like ‘Losing You’ and that’s all you do is cry.

Which song (any song written in the last century / 100 years or so) do you wish you’d written yourself?
I wish I’d written ‘Fix You’ by Coldplay ever since watching him (Chris Martin) throw a light around the stage to it whilst headlining Glastonbury. It’s such a beautifully written song.

Who is your favourite writer? (This can be a songwriter or ANY kind of writer.)
Adam Duritz from Counting Crows is probably my all time favourite writer. His melodies and lyrics are incredible. [Read Carrie’s interview with Duritz from last year here. – Ed.]

If you hadn’t become a singer/musician/songwriter/etc., what job do you think you’d be doing right now?
It seems quite easy to get a job as a manger for Cardiff City Football Club, so I would love the opportunity to show up Russel Slade (current manager) with my managing skills that I learnt from Club Manager 2007 (PC game). I had them promoted 2 years in a row to get them to the Premier League.

If God said you were allowed to bring only one album with you to Heaven, which would it be and why? (Sorry, but double albums do not count.)
AC/DC – ‘Highway to Hell’.

Many thanks Leon for answering our questions and thank you also to Tyla for facilitating.

We here at TGTF have been busy little bees working on SXSW 2015 previews since November. Now that we’re in March, I started thinking that you fine readers may have missed a post (or three) along the way, and for those keen on picking up some new acts to follow and fanboy/girl over, you might need a way to have everything at your fingertips to help you choose who to see in Austin. As we’re getting down to the wire in the lead-up to SXSW (there’s only 2 weeks to go, yo!), this roundup will give a snapshot – albeit a pretty large one! – of all the SXSW showcasing artists we’ve featured over the last 4 months.

Over the next 2 weeks we’ll be bringing you even more SXSW previews, so keep it here at TGTF!

It’s been a while. But Wakefield’s most famous rock band The Cribs are getting ready to take America by storm in March, first with a 3-date residency at New York City’s Mercury Lounge, followed by high-profile appearances at SXSW 2015 in Austin before the release of their next album ‘For All My Sisters’ on the 23rd of March on Sonic Blew / Sony Red.

On the same day, the Yorkshire band of brothers will be releasing this single, ‘Burning for No One’, as a limited 7″ vinyl, backed with ‘I See Your Pictures Every Day’. The promo for the single is notable not only because all three Jarman brothers are in it, but because when they went to the Bahamas to film it, some wild pigs decided to have some fun with them. They’re adorable. (I mean, they all are. Of course.) Watch the video below, and you can stream the b-side below it.

In New York City, they played a one-off intimate show for fans on Tuesday night at the Box in the Lower East Side, which they then followed with this performance of their mega hit ‘Gooey’ on the venerated Ed Sullivan Theater stage for Late Night with David Letterman Wednesday. They brought their full jungle kit, which naturally host Dave couldn’t help but joke with the band’s Dave about needing some ferns for his digs. Watch it below.